


Phantom Shallows

by The Big Roman (Hammocker)



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - 1920s, Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Angst, Desert Island, Developing Relationship, M/M, Merpeople, Sort Of, Stranded, Survival, Survivor Guilt, Theoretical Evolution, Wilderness Survival
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-07
Updated: 2019-02-09
Packaged: 2019-06-23 04:33:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15598368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hammocker/pseuds/The%20Big%20Roman
Summary: Shipwrecked on an uninhabited island, Jason Todd must learn to survive on his own. Food, water, and shelter become his top priorities, but the ocean hides a more enticing secret.





	1. Biogenesis

The storm hit them hard.

The wind and rain roared in Jason’s ears, everything around him black and foggy. He couldn’t have said if it was morning or midnight, the clouds blotted out the sky so.

He thundered across the deck as he tied cargo to the deck and shipmates to the two masts. Even those who were busy double latching the sails, he grabbed and insisted on tying down. The adrenaline pumping through his veins was hard to argue with.

Even with screaming and the rush of blood in his ears, he kept at his task. Tying everything and everyone down as quickly as possible. Everyone but himself.

Jason barely felt it as the boat tilted on the port side and didn’t stop. He didn’t realize as his feet left the deck before he started tumbling down off the ship. The last thing he remembered was the chill of the water as he hit it face first.

*****

Jason felt himself stir, soft bedding below him and warmth on his front. His breathing was steady, though, he felt he’d just a woken up from a nightmare. Wind and rain and a storm strong enough to tear apart any ship.

But it wasn’t a dream. He remembered it, battening down hatches and scrambling to tie others down. He’d never had the chance to secure himself. The feeling of sand grains in his hair gave away that this was no bed, nor even one of the ship’s simple cots or slings.

Jason jolted up, eyes flying open.

In front of him was the edge of a beach, gentle waves lapping at the shore and chunks of torn driftwood resting in front of him. As his eyes focused, Jason spotted a group of jagged rocks in the distance, and a cold chill ran down his spine. No ship could get through them in a storm without being torn to shreds, and definitely not the Indian Queen. And if the crew had been tied down to the ship…

A lump formed in Jason’s throat. He couldn’t think of that, not now.

He looked around and found no one else asleep around him, only more ship remains, crates, nets and ropes. Could the crew have ended up on other parts of this- place? He hesitated to call it an island just yet. Something told him that it was exactly that, but he’d sooner be optimistic than let thoughts of certain death weigh him down.

Jason hauled himself to his feet and turned around. He swallowed thickly at the sight before him. Dense jungle, so tall that he could hardly see a horizon, only a green mountain peak somewhere beyond his reach. Wherever he was, it certainly seemed untouched by man, and he was in no condition to be trying to trek through the forest just yet.

He looked down at himself then, wincing at the sight of his new jacket covered in sand. It was less damaged than it could have been, being made from leather, but he’d thought that he’d keep it far out of harm’s way. Jason had spent what little he’d saved over his years on it and passage on the boat. Those, and-

Jason’s breath caught in his throat. He clasped the right side of his chest and felt a wave of relief at the feel of a solid square beneath his jacket. He reached into the jacket and pulled out the notebook he’d stored there. It too was leather bound, and the three pencils Jason had stowed between its pages were still there. It was a relief to see that it survived with no more than wet edges, but Jason knew he couldn’t worry about it just yet. He tucked it back into its pocket.

Jason considered shedding his jacket and leaving it there for a moment, but immediately ruled that out. Warm as it was, he wasn’t letting his only worldly possessions out of his sight, not for a moment.

With the crates and broken ship pieces, he had potential salvage on the beach at least. Maybe some of the cargo was still in tact, and he might just be able to use some of the less waterlogged crates for firewood. Jason wasn’t a complete stranger to the wilderness at least. Growing up in a poor, rural town came with some benefits.

So he started to make his way down the length of the beach, finding more of the same. They’d had supplies intended to feed and water the entire crew for the weeks it would take to land in Holt’s Wharf, but most of it had already been used up. When the storm had hit, Captain Fabbro had been estimating it would be less than a week before they reached the port. All Jason could do was hope that maybe something useful had survived.

Every now and then, he knelt down to pick through the remains of a crate or search underneath some stray netting. He’d at least be able to fish, but it was finding water that was the greater concern. There would certainly be rain he could capture, but that was likely to be unpredictable at best.

He was approaching a rocky storm beach beyond the sandy one with little luck. Jason might just find a stone he could use as a blade there, seeing as no machetes or knives had turned up in the wreckage. As he turned to pace back the other way, though, something caught Jason’s eye in the water.

The first thing he noticed was blood washing up with the waves. Not much, but it made a trail that brought his eyes up to what looked to be a body in the water, floating with head and shoulders above the water. Someone from his crew, injured, but maybe alive.

“Hey!” Jason cried wading out into the water. He doubted the man was conscious, but he had to try. If he was alive, his only chance was waking up as quickly as possible.

As he splashed down into the surf, though, the form seemed to disappear beneath the waves, not even leaving behind a ripple. Jason was left staring down at a patch of blood staining the water. His brow wrinkled with confusion. What had happened? Was he dragged underneath by a creature of the deep? Was Jason seeing things? Something had to have made that blood.

Jason waded back onto shore, unwilling to stay too close. Blood would attract sharks, no matter how shallow the water. It was then that he decided that, whatever had happened, it was a sign that he was well and truly alone. He was the lone survivor of a shipwreck, and he certainly wasn’t anywhere near Hong Kong. He might die here, either in the short or long-term. Maybe his family had been right after all.

But there was no use worrying about it now. He had to start working.


	2. Fitness

For all it was worth, at least Jason wasn’t going to freeze. Even as evening fell, the heat hadn’t withdrawn. His jacket was more than enough to keep any chills away.

Jason’s first goal was a bonfire. It was his best chance at being noticed, and he’d need it to cook. He’d picked a spot not far from where he’d woken up as his home base of sorts, at least for the time being. There, he’d piled up what he could find, dried driftwood, stray fan leaves, branches that had fallen on the edge of the beach. It wasn’t enough, not nearly, but it would do for the time being.

With his tinder found, the challenge became finding something to start a fire with. He had a firesteel - what was left of one anyway -salvaged out of a smaller box that had made its way to shore, but no flint to spark it with so far. Seeing as he needed stones to make a firepit anyway, Jason headed over to the storm beach with the steel. Surely there had to be at least one flint stone there.

As he made his way across the sand, though, Jason could have sworn he heard- breathing. Not the steady breathing of a man, but something like the exhale of a dolphin surfacing. Yet when he looked across the water for a source, Jason found nothing. It didn’t only happen once either. Even as Jason came to the rocks, he heard it again. Jason resolved to ignore it, and focus on his task. He couldn’t worry about blood in the water, or native sea creatures.

But, even as he began hitting rocks against the steel, Jason couldn’t help but wonder. He’d read as many books by naturalists and explorers as he could get his hands on before finally resolving to have an adventure of his own. If he was to be stuck on this island, then why not study the life upon it? It certainly seemed uncharted, and the thick jungle was sure to be rife with unknown species of flora and fauna. He could sketch and take notes in his book, just like Jenyns and Darwin...

The excitement at the thought had Jason striking especially hard and, just like that, a spark flew off from the steel. His heart skipped a beat. Maybe there was hope after all.

He couldn’t study it if he was dead, anyway. The nights would certainly be dark and treacherous, and he had no one to rely on but himself. Jason had to try harder, work harder, to get a fire started and roaring. That was the first thing he needed if he wanted to survive.

*****

It was hours before Jason managed a full pit fire. Sparks, false starts, and disappointment came and went many times over before Jason was sitting in front of a real, crackling fire.

The sun had long since set in the horizon, leaving Jason with nothing more than his fire and moonlight for light. It was a half-moon, but waning, and Jason was not looking forward to the darkest nights of the month.

Jason should have felt better with one task down, but he couldn’t relax. His stomach was beginning to growl, and his mouth growing dryer and dryer. Even just netting some fish would be a huge boon to him. He half-wished it would rain.

More than any basic need, though, Jason was most concerned that he was still hearing something, out in the water. He only heard it occasionally, but his heart jumped each time. It sounded more and more like a drowning man every time, surfacing for desperately needed air. Air that he’d never truly find. But never once did Jason see any spirits or signs of a creature making the sound. All he found was the open ocean, with no sign that a boat had ever been tossed on its waves at all.

It was eating Jason alive. Was this Hell? Had he died after all? Had he lived and found himself tormented by the souls of his crew? He couldn’t tell which was worse. Jason didn’t deserve to be alive at all, that much he was certain of. He didn’t deserve to live where others had died.

Jason stood from his place in front of the fire, and steeled himself as he trudged down the beach and waded into the shadowy water.

“I’m sorry!” Jason shouted across the sea. “If you want me, then have me! I deserve your fate more than any of you!”

Nothing. Not even that sound of surfacing. All he was met with was the gentle lapping of waves as they drifted in and out.

Jason’s throat tightened. If he was being haunted by spirits of the crew, then they weren’t a merciful bunch.

“Fine then!”

What good could it do anyway, capitulating to them? Even if he didn’t deserve to live, Jason didn’t want to die here. There was still so much that he wanted to know and see. So much he wanted to be able to share with people.

He waded back out of the water and went back to his fire, collapsing in the sand next to it. He’d gotten so little done and wasted time, but still he was exhausted. Even getting a little rest before sunrise, disturbed as he was, would do him good. He’d accomplish more in daylight.

*****

Already Jason missed the shoddy hammock that had been his bed on the ship.

He’d woken up with his fire burnt out, and sand clinging to every exposed inch of his body. The sensation gave Jason shivers, but he pushed on nonetheless. Shelter of any kind was a luxury now, bathing even moreso. With the sun already over the east horizon, he had no time to waste.

Jason returned to the storm beach to pick through the rocks once again. Most of them were too massive or too dull to be of any use, but Jason did manage to find a few with a near arrowhead shape and flattened edges. These he carried back to his campsite.

From there, his attention was split between the ocean in front of him and the jungle behind him. He could enter the latter relatively easily, but knew that it would be dense once he was under tree cover, and there was no guarantee of fruiting trees or substantial animals to hunt. The ocean was a more sure bet for food, but Jason had no idea where fish would congregate in the shallows. It would also be the place to gather shells. Jason had had an inkling of laying out seashells to catch as much rainwater as he could, but he’d not seen a cloud in the sky since he’d arrived.

At least with the ocean Jason had a solid chance of finding small, shallows fish, or at least finding where they weren’t. That seemed like the best place to start. He took one of his blade rocks and made his way towards a wayward net.

Jason took his time cutting of just enough of the net that he could trawl through the water while keeping a good grip. When he was satisfied, Jason took his new square of netting, and shed his jacket for the first time since arriving, leaving it by his campsite. Then, he waded down into the ocean until he was near waist deep.

Jason took care to step as lightly as he could. He’d never fished without a line and never in salt water. In fact, he’d never even seen the ocean until just less than a month ago. It had been new and incredible and exciting, just like the books Jason had gorged himself on until he simply had to journey across an ocean himself. Maybe he just wasn’t meant to be an explorer, and this was God’s way of making that clear.

God certainly didn’t seem to be on his side, especially then as he trawled through the water, running the net in front of himself. No luck so far.

Even so, Jason kept at it, trekking down the beach towards the rocks that kept the rest of the island out of reach for the time being. He found only a few rocks beneath his feet, and even fewer crabs. He’d eat the smallest crab whole if he couldn’t find any fish. And as his net turned up little more than dirt and the occasional scrap of seaweed, Jason’s hopes grew dimmer and dimmer.

He waded from rocks to camp and back again at least thrice with not even the sparkle of minnows in the water. At least if he could track down smaller fish, he might know where to find their larger relatives.

Then, as he rounded back to the western end of his camp, Jason caught a glimpse of movement in the water. Just the slightest hint of something undulating beneath the gentle waves. He didn’t care why or how it had come there, Jason simply hungered for it.

As slowly as he could manage, Jason crept up on it, drawing closer so as not to disturb its patterns. He held his net just above water, holding it closer to middle like a spider clutching its webbing. The fish stayed.

Jason moved as close as he dared, until he was almost on top of the fish. He held his breath as he waited.

Jason lunged, shoving his entire weight down and shutting the net around where he predicted the fish would be. His upper half plunged into the water and he didn’t stop until he felt sand below him.

He shut his eyes as it happened, not daring to hope, but, sure enough, after a second or two of waiting, Jason felt the fish writhing in his clutches. Jason nearly lost his breath, he was so elated. He opened his eyes despite the sting, finding himself face-to-face with the colorful, squirming thing. Jason grinned and, on a whim, glanced off to the side through the clear waters.

Jason hadn’t expected much, and, indeed, he didn’t see much but the sand slowly growing deeper and deeper. One thing that did catch his eye, however, was a slight, undulating movement farther out into the water. Some kind of finned creature passing by. It wasn't a fish, though; no, it was far too large. Was it- a whale? Was he not going mad after all? Could he kill it and use it for food and fire?

It was then that Jason’s lungs caught up with him, forcing Jason to right himself.

He stood back up with a gasping breath, knees shaking a bit. What was that thing? Was it even there at all, or was Jason seeing things?

Jason shook his head, letting droplets fly from his hair. He couldn’t worry about that right now. Instead, he brandished his netted fish with pride, giving it a look over. It wasn’t much, no bigger than any fish he’d ever caught in his lake, but it was enough for the day. As glanced upwards, he found the sun high in the sky, burning down on him. If he wasn’t already, he was going to burn out in its glare. He needed to get the fish cooking right away.

Jason waded up towards his campsite, and placed the fish down on the sand. It wasn’t flopping nearly as much as it had before as it slowly suffocated, but Jason didn’t want to take any chances. He kept an eye on it as he placed more kindling on the fire, and struck his flint and steel.

A fire caught faster than it had the first time, and with some additional fuel and air, was soon roaring in front of Jason..

It would take a bit to cook, Jason knew, and he’d have some time before he could eat. Time was something that he had to use efficiently, and he still hadn’t taken any time to walk into the woods and see if he could find something useful. At least under the trees, he’d have some shelter until evening, and he wasn’t terribly worried about his meal being stolen. Jason had seen few seabirds since he’d arrived on the island. Maybe because the fishing was so poor. Or, perhaps, because of the mysterious creature in the water. Jason had seen sharks snap up birds from the ship, though, he knew that sharks wouldn’t surface to breathe.

Was this thing more of a danger than a shark? Could it be a predatory blackfish? Was Jason in danger?

Well, as long as he stayed near shore, Jason supposed he’d be safe.

As the fire started to burn one more, Jason picked out a fan leaf and went over to dampen it in sea water, so it wouldn’t burn too easily. He then came back, took the now still fish out of its net, and wrapped it up, placing it near the flames. Jason knew that he’d have to figure out the best way to cook with what he had. While he’d eat raw fish if he was desperate, Jason would prefer something safer and more consistent.

So, once he was confident that his fish wouldn’t be burnt to ash in the time he was gone, Jason stood up with his blade rock and wandered into the jungle.

Once he was below the towering broadleaf trees, the early morning light gave way to a shadowy landscape, even more so than the forests Jason had known back home. He could glance back towards the beach and see morning, then turn back and feel as though night had fallen again.

Even one fruit plant could guarantee that he at least wouldn’t starve for a while. And even if he didn’t find that, he might at least find a small animal or reptile or, if Jason was truly desperate, insects to stave off inevitable hunger pains once his fish was gone. Better than anything, though, would be a fresh spring of water, preferably running, but Jason had to take what he could get.

Jason slowly worked his way through the undergrowth, cutting and tearing a path that lead back towards his camp. The farther he got, the darker it grew, and the more he was compelled to turn back. Yet he could hear the forest’s sounds now, the calls of birds above, the chirping of insects all around. He couldn’t see any wildlife just yet, but he knew that animals had to live here right away.

Jason looked over his shoulder once more, finding that his exit was farther away than he’d ever thought he’d go.

He glanced around, squinting at the trees and foliage that surrounded him. In the dark, it was hard to distinguish where one started and another began. The best he could do was get closer to specific plants.

Jason gradually made his way from one broad-leafed shrub to a prickly fern to a thick, towering tree. The smaller, woody plants would make for good slow burning material, and he could dry out the enormous leaves for kindling. None of them, though, appeared to bear fruit.

That was, until Jason approached a stout tree, its leaves protruding in all direction. He couldn’t discern anything of interest until chattering came from it.

A flurry of movement erupted from the leaves, and something fell to the ground. Jason found himself looking up at a little green bird, peeking out from between the leaves. Its beak was hooked, and its face was splashed with bright orange. It seemed to look right at Jason. Who could blame it? He must have been a strange sight on an island with no people.

Even so, within a few seconds, it flapped its wings and dashed off towards the forest’s canopy. Jason turned his attention down to what it had dropped.

It was a pod, like an especially large, green almond. Jason leaned down to pick it up, finding its skin hard, but broken into nonetheless. He pressed his fingers in between a seam in the fruit and tore it open. It came apart with some effort, and Jason found the fruit full of seeds and white innards. With a slow breath, Jason brought one half to his mouth and took a cautious bite. 

His first mistake: using his teeth. The seeds were hard as rocks, and Jason spat them out immediately. Though, he had to admit, the fruit itself was mild enough to be pleasant, and he was hungry enough to want more.

Carefully, Jason worked around the seeds to get at the pulp. It was effort, but Jason wasn’t feeling any ill effects. Yet. He was in too deep to stop anyway. If the first thing he ate on the island turned out to be poison, then that was his fate.

But even as he finished with the first half, Jason didn’t so much as feel a stomach ache.

He dropped the empty fruit, and turned to head back to his camp. The fish was probably done by now, and he’d found at least a potential source of food. He’d have his first decent meal since the shipwreck and get some more sleep, then wake before sunrise the next day to search for more fish. With the size of the leaves on the island, Jason was seriously considering using them as bedding. It might keep the worst of the sand away at least.

Jason cleared the trees, and caught the smell of freshly cooked fish. His stomach snarled, and Jason had half a mind to devour all he had like a wild animal. But he hadn’t gone completely mad yet, and he forced himself to approach with dignity. Eating too quickly would only bring new hunger pains faster.

Before Jason could sit down to eat, though, something new on the beach caught his eye. Marks in the sand near the water, like some kind of animal had dragged himself across the beach. For a moment, Jason forgot his hunger, and moved to get a closer look.

At a glance, Jason thought it was a seal track. Maybe a hungry straggler had come ashore, smelling his dinner. Not only would it make sense, but it would explain the odd sounds he’d been hearing. But the fish was still exactly where he’d left it, with no seal in sight. And, as he crouched down, Jason observed that, not only was there a mark for the body and flippers at the sides. No, there were two, distinct indents within the marks where the body had been dragged. Knee marks. Like a man had hauled himself across the beach then back into the water.

Jason swallowed thickly. That couldn’t be right. For a moment, he entertained the idea of ghostly shipmate leaving them, but an apparition surely couldn’t have left marks. Unless they could. Then again, maybe it was only an unusual or deformed sea lion. Or a water-dwelling man. No, no, that was absurd. Mermaids were legend and faked curiosities, but never...

Jason shook his head and trekked back to his campsite. Just another thing he couldn’t let himself be distracted by until he had food and water. If he couldn’t find water soon, then Jason would perish for certain.

He tried not to worry about that as he unwrapped his fish, and forced himself to take slow, deliberate bites. Even so, he couldn’t help but swallow before he chewed. Jason had picked up the habit of eating quickly even before being shipwrecked. Growing up on a less-than-successful farm had that effect. Yet even that seemed like a fond memory now that Jason was alone.

A shudder passed through Jason, and he glanced at the tracks once more. Somehow, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he wasn’t as alone as he’d thought.


	3. Aquatic-Terrestrial

Dreams came to Jason, but only sparingly. He saw a flooded world, ebbing and flowing. The waters were dark and unforgiving, like the maw of a great leviathan. It opened and tore apart a huge ship, sending the sailors aboard tumbling into the water. Jason couldn’t find himself in the chaos, but he felt the water, the cold, the...

Jason’s eyes flickered, and immediately, he felt droplets of water flood against his eyes.

Jason started up from the sand, and found himself even more caked in the stuff than usual, on account of it being wet. He reached his hands out, and, sure enough, they were barraged with drops of water.

A laugh wrenched itself from Jason’s throat. He blinked his eyes until they cleared before turning his gaze upward. Surely enough, white clouds had formed in the sky, stretching from horizon to horizon, and sending down millions of droplets of pure, drinkable water.

It wasn’t the most practical, but Jason’s mouth was so dry that he didn’t care anymore. He got to his feet, tilted his head back, and opened his mouth, catching all that came his way. It didn’t matter that his clothes were soaked and covered in sand; he had water. Already his throat was beginning to ease and he was washed over with relief.

Maybe things were going to be alright after all.

*****

As it turned out, rain lasted a long time on the island.

He’d collected several broad, valleyed leaves and every seashell he could find, and laid them out around his camp. They were all overflowing with the rain, even as Jason sat completely quenched. Jason couldn’t help but already find it a bit mundane, even though he knew how important it might end up being to conserve that water. One could hardly blame him; it had been raining for nearly two days straight now.

The strange sea lion tracks had been washed out by the rain not long after it started. It should have been a relief, but Jason couldn’t help but be disappointed. Per usual, he insisted to himself that he couldn't worry about it. Water was plentiful for now, but food was still spotty.

One of those rainy days, Jason had spent hours gathering the most comfortable leaves he could find and laying them out to make a bed for himself. He needed sleep, after all, and a somewhat comfortable, sand-free bed was the first step towards that. The second day he’d taken to scout for more fish, and, with a little luck, made his second catch, this time of a rather drab looking thing, but no less plump and fleshy.

The only problem he’d encountered was starting a fire in the rain. Even with his flint and steel, it had proved impossible. The seedy fruits from the forest staved off his hunger, but the fish would keep him full for at least a day. He was seriously considering eating it raw, while it was fresh.

What he needed was some way to keep water away from his pit.

Jason left his fish near his fire pit, and trekked across the sand, heading for the storm beach. He was going to need more rocks, at least enough to make a somewhat watertight barrier. What he really needed was clay, but having found no freshwater sources yet, Jason would have to improvise.

He squinted through the constant water in his eyes, making his slow and steady way until he came to his now regular source of rocks. There he set to work gathering up whichever ones he deemed fit, though, the selection process wasn’t exactly rigorous. He wanted to be eating as soon as possible.

In the process, Jason became so consumed by his task that he didn’t see what had popped up on the beach until it was right in front of him.

He jumped back, nearly dropping his armful of rocks. Sitting in the sand was a large horseshoe shaped thing. Made out of neatly stacked rocks. For a long moment, Jason couldn’t move as he stared at it. It only came up to around his knees, but- well, he supposed it was a feeling akin to what the man who had discovered stonehenge would experience. Fascination mixed with dread.

Jason didn’t want to look at it for longer than he needed to. He hastily finished gathering what he needed and turned to go back to camp, forcing himself not to look over his shoulder. He thought that he might need to make multiple trips, but that suddenly seemed unwise. Jason could make do with what he had anyway. Now all he needed now were some leafy plants.

*****

It was hours before Jason managed a decent fire. He’d had to wrap his fish up long before any flames were made.

Nonetheless, he was pretty proud of his new creation. He’d buried rocks partway in the sand while others were raised up, and plugged the cracks as much as he could manage with sand and pebbles. Then he’d shoved long, broad leaves in the neighboring sand, creating enough of an umbrella that the fire, and, indeed, Jason himself was allowed shelter from the rain.

He’d eaten his fish and was sitting with his head underneath his umbrella leaves, keeping as dry as he could manage with the fire’s help. Jason had to admit that he didn’t think that he’d even get this point. He had water, food, and a campsite with shelter from the rain at least. 

It was strange; Jason didn’t entirely mind being alone. For all the rain and wind, the island was peaceful, warm, and beautiful. It would have been the perfect place for him to have that adventure he craved, if not for his lack of supplies. He had his notebook and pencils, and, once the rain broke and he felt prepared enough, he could start making sketches and notes. It would be useful to note which plants were edible, and which dangerous. If his fate was to die on this island, at least there was a chance that, someday, someone could find his book and learn from it.

The thought of death loomed over him, but not as much as the rock structure thing that Jason had found on the beach earlier that day. He couldn’t describe it, couldn’t even find the nerve to go back and look at it again. Really, why would he need to? It was burned into his mind, the shape of it, the structure...

Jason blinked. It was angled with its walls facing the ocean, where most of the wind and rain was coming in from. Like whatever had made it was trying to shelter itself. Using the rocks like a man would.

A shudder ran down Jason’s spine. He didn’t like the implications of that, whether the thing was made by an animal, or something altogether unholy. Though, why would a demon want to avoid the rain? It wasn’t blessed, that much Jason was certain of.

Of course, it could all very well be explained by Jason going completely mad. He wouldn’t have been surprised.

Jason took in a shaky breath as he settled down onto his bed of leaves, drawing his arms up around himself. He clutched the notebook just beneath his jacket. It had survived this long and he wasn’t going to let it be waterlogged now.

*****

Jason had only slept lightly since he'd been shipwrecked. The rain only made sleep more difficult, and it seemed that every other moment, he’d wake up to his fire growing dimmer and dimmer. It seemed to last for hours, and, for all Jason knew, that was exactly the case. Even so, the sun wasn’t getting any closer.

Shuffling roused Jason for what must have been the fourth time that night. He didn’t pay it much mind, at first. He’d heard his fair share of odd noises through the rainy night. Yet, as he waited for sleep to come back to him, the sound only grew closer, more- solid. A chill ran through him.

Jason blinked his eyes open and turned his head towards the sound. The fire was barely burning then, but it still cast writhing shadows across the beach. One writhing more than the others. Jason followed the shadow up with his eyes, and, for a moment, it didn’t seem connected to anything. There was only darkness. That is, until a face shifted into the light of the fire.

A yelp escaped Jason’s throat before he could stop it. Just like that, the face turned to look at him, making its all-too-human features and wide eyes clear as day.

It stared at him, and he stared at it, but the contact only lasted the space of a few seconds. The creature whirled away from the fire’s light, and Jason heard it crashing down the beach.

He sat up and squinted against the dark and rain, trying to get a look at it, but he could barely make out a basic shape. It was definitely mannish, somehow, but at the same time, it wasn’t human at all. The vague silhouette he could make out shuffled around on all fours, until it came to the water and disappeared completely.

Jason stared after it for a long minute before falling back on his bedding. He wasn’t mad. There was something living in the water, something he’d found in none of the books he’d ever read. Jason couldn’t say if it was unholy or undiscovered, but he knew that it frightened him. But also, he found himself wondering. Wondering if he’d found something natural, but altogether new to science and the eye of man. 

It was exciting and terrifying, but Jason was suddenly too exhausted to feel either.


	4. Modification

Jason woke to the dim rays of the sun and the quiet patter of rain. He gave a murmur before blinking his eyes open. Waking up after so little sleep only got easier and easier. He sat up as his vision came into focus. To his relief and anxiety, the rain had started to clear up, reduced to only a light shower all around him. His leaves and shells were still full, but they were liable to dry up in the sun. He had no idea where he was going to find water without the rain, but the sun might just help relieve some of his nerves.

Wasting no time, Jason got to his feet. He was still full from the prior night and that gave him the opportunity to look for a source of freshwater on the island. There had to be something, anything, supporting the local wildlife, especially now with the rain having come down in buckets. If there were any rivers or ponds, their banks would be bursting and then some.

Before he could move, though, something on the sand caught his eye. A- packet had been left next to his fire pit. He wasn’t sure of any other word to describe it but that. Cold shock settled in his belly, and he spent a long moment just staring it. What the hell was going on?

It took a bit, but Jason forced himself to place his fish down and pick up the thing to get a closer look. It was wet - shocking - but it didn’t feel like anything he’d found on the island so far. It felt more porous, and it looked eerily like seaweed.

Sure enough, as he unwrapped the packet, it grew unbearably clear that it was, indeed, a strip of seaweed, holding something solid and rounded inside. Jason hesitated for far too long before moving to pull at one end of the seaweed.

Slowly, he uncovered two oysters, still covered in algae and ocean plants. For a moment, Jason’s heart skipped with grateful elation. Then, when he dropped that seaweed away, he realized that neither oyster was at all opened.

Jason set his jaw without a thought. He could salvage this. He didn’t need an oyster pick. Didn’t he?

He dropped to the ground and placed the oysters on a slate that he’d taken to using for cooking, then selected one of his thin, blade rocks as his first tool of choices. Jason felt around on one of the oysters for any kind of dent or flaw to get a wedge into. There wasn’t much, but still, Jason pressed the oyster against the rock while his other hand worked to force the blade in. He gritted his teeth throughout, doing all he could to get the oyster to open even a little.

But, hard as he pushed, it was too tough. Jason’s hand slipped, sending the oyster and rock into the sand. Jason grunted and rubbed his already aching knuckles. Still, he picked the blade back up and once more positioned himself to pry the second oyster open. He managed to last slightly longer than before, but again, his hand slipped and sent everything he held flying into the sand. Jason let out a shudder, but knew that he still had one more option.

With the blade ruled out, Jason next took one of his bulkier rocks in hand. He once again placed the oysters on his slate, as flat and stable as he could manage. Jason couldn’t put his fingers at too much risk. Once they were in place, he lifted his rock up and brought it down as hard as he could. Then another time. Then another.

After the third try, he dropped the rock and investigated the oyster. His heart sunk looking it over. Despite all his effort, neither had so much as cracked. He’d barely even scraped any algae off of the shells throughout his attempts at smashing.

Sinking, inescapable disappointment returned to him then. If three good hits with a rock couldn’t make event a scratch, what hope did Jason have? What hope did he have for survival at all?

He just couldn’t understand any of it. Was this creature stalking him? This ungodly beast that could shift from land to sea in an instant? Why would it want to give him food? Why would it give him food he couldn’t eat? Was he haunted? Was it torment?

Maybe it was. He glared down at the oysters, then took them both in hand and got to his feet. He marched down to the shoreline and into the water before tossing them far out into the sea.

“I don’t want your damn charity!” he shouted through the rain. “Why?! Why couldn’t you just kill me and be done with it?!”

No answer. Just as the first time he’d shouted at the wind off the shore. He’d soaked his legs for nothing.

Jason waded back onto the beach. As was becoming common, he had more important things to be doing. He needed to find water, and soon. His supplies wouldn’t last in this climate.

*****

For the first time, Jason felt like he’d had a truly successful day.

He’d spent much of it in the jungle, exploring deeper than he ever had before. Jason had found more of the fruit trees, parrot-like birds, lizards, and a number of other flora and fauna that he didn’t recognize. The farther he went, cutting away at any plant life that got in his way, the more life he seemed to find. And as he found more life, Jason finally found water.

It was a river, relatively small, but absolutely a body of water that had carved itself into the landscape. It broke through the thick tree covering, allowing sun to shine through. Its banks were bursting out from the rain, and the local wildlife could be seen all around it, from tiny butterflies to brilliant birds to even tiny, almost frog-like monkeys with huge eyes.

The moment he came upon it, Jason fell to his knees and shoved his face into the water, drinking deep. It was fresh and flowing and clean enough as far as he was concerned. If the rain came regularly and as persistent as it had been, that would be more than enough to sustain Jason for as long as he needed. All he needed was something better than leaves to carry the water back to his camp.

He walked back to the beach completely quenched. On the way, he also picked up some more various fruits that the local bird population seemed to like. If it was good enough for them, then why not at least try them? They looked appetizing enough, in their various greens, yellows, and deep reds.

As he stepped back out into open beach, though, Jason stopped dead in his tracks. He blinked and felt his throat go dry, for a second doubting his eyes. Even after three blinks and as many seconds, though, the figure in the distance was unmistakable. There was a man at his campsite.

At least he thought it was a man. Somehow the height seemed wrong, like he was moving around on his knees, except Jason couldn’t consolidate the height or speed in his mind.

Whoever he was, he didn’t appear to have seen Jason just yet, and just as Jason was about to call out for him, the man seemed to fall down on his stomach and out of view.

Jason knew it was foolish, but he couldn’t stand the not knowing anymore.

He dropped his fruit where he stood, and sprinted across the sand, shouting, “Wait! Wait, come back!”

If the man had heard him, he didn’t make that obvious, and once he got closer, Jason was almost glad it hadn’t. It wasn’t a man at all. It was on its stomach, sure, but this was something only man-shaped, looking more like it belonged in a zoo.

Despite that, or maybe because of it, Jason didn’t stop. It was already headed for the water, and Jason knew he wouldn’t get this chance again.

“Wait!” he shouted. “Just, stop, I need to-!”

Just as soon as Jason was ready to step into the water and tackle the thing himself, it whirled around, rearing up, and roared at him. It happened so quickly and startled him so badly that he fell back into the wet sand, past plans forgotten. He was left staring up in the wake of this monstrous- thing.

This creature didn’t belong in a zoo; it belonged in a _nightmare_.

Its jaw was stretched wide, showing off powerful incisors and human - much too human - teeth. The face only served the human comparison better, with large eyes, but distinct pupils and irises. It had a slight snout and pronounced cheekbones. Everything in the face suggested that this was a person. But the paddle-like forelimbs, the sleek covering of hair, the exaggerated upper body weight, it all wasn’t. And the _scream_ , the ungodly mannish-but-not scream.

Jason could hardly take any of it in, laying there with wide eyes.

But then, the screaming stopped, leaving only the sound of Jason’s pounding heart. The thing blinked at him, first a transparent layer, then a flesh lid like his own. It was looking at him, right in his eye, and Jason couldn’t look away.

It beared down onto all fours once more, and it was only then that Jason realized that it had been on its knees the whole time. It had reached his height _on its knees_. It was huge. It could have crushed Jason. And yet…

It blinked at Jason a few times more, before it turned and slid into the water. Once there, it was far more graceful than it had been on land, disappearing in an instant, like it hadn’t been there at all. Even the ocean seemed still for a moment, and Jason stared at it in wide-eyed disbelief.

It was only then that Jason realized that he was quaking. He was cold, even in the unrelenting sun and lukewarm water. His face felt completely drained of blood, and, for a long moment, he still couldn’t move.

He knew that he wasn’t haunted now at least, but he wasn’t certain that it wasn’t a beast of Satan.

Jason managed to haul himself to his feet after a while, and trudged back to his campsite, legs still shaking. He wondered what kind of damage the creature had done, but, as he approached, he froze once again. Once more, a pair of oysters had been left next to his campfire on top of a bundle of seaweed.

He only dared to kneel down and look more closely after another moment. Surely enough, both were now pried open, the shells cracked slightly.

It hit Jason then. The thing had brought the oysters. _Of course_ it had brought the oysters, how could he not have seen that right away? And somehow it had known that he couldn’t get them open. The only question that he had was simply why? Why would it- feed him?

For a moment Jason got chills. He knew that man-eating fish and whales weren’t uncommon. Could it be trying to fatten him up? Jason gave an uncomfortable laugh at the idea. That was ridiculous. No animal had that kind of intelligence.

Unless this one did.

Then again, maybe it had mistaken him for one of its young, somehow. It was as plausible as any other possibility.

Either way, it was food, and good food at that. Jason set about clearing some ash from his fire pit, and filling it up with fresh kindling.


	5. Encephalization

As his oysters cooked, Jason retrieved the fruit that he’d dropped earlier. It had gotten a little sandy and bruised, but Jason was in no place to complain. He picked out one of the more familiar figs to pick at while he looked over the new stuff he’d found. There was an olive green rounded fruit, an odd, five-pointed yellow fruit, and a tiny, brown thing that Jason still wasn’t entirely convinced was edible. He’d taken a few of each, just in case he wanted or needed more.

He eventually settled on the brown thing, if only to get the scariest of the three out of the way first.

First, he tried to bite into it, only to be met with a fuzzy, unpleasant texture and tough skin. He winced and pulled it back, considering giving up there. Instead, though, Jason dug his thumb nail into the skin as best as he could, and tore at the skin. Sure enough it gave way, revealing the outside to be a shell of sorts, and, inside, a softer, lighter round, filled with small seeds. Jason blinked in wonderment before popping the fruits insides into his mouth. It was somewhat sweet, but refreshing. The seeds weren’t overly hard either, and he swallowed them without complaint. Not bad at all. He’d have to find more of those.

The next two fruits weren’t bad either. Jason bit into the five-pointed one easily, finding the skin waxy, but the fruit sweet. The green thing had to be sliced open with one of Jason’s blade rocks, and he found the meat inside reminded him of home. It was almost starchy, tasting of both potato and bread.

Birds, it turned out, were excellent teachers.

Once he’d finished with the three experimental fruits, Jason checked his oysters and found them cooked to a brown. The smell coming off of them was like nothing Jason had ever known, the scent a combination of seawater and good chicken. He couldn’t resist picking up one of the shells and sucking all the meat into his mouth at the same time.

Jason let out a moan as the flavor hit him. It was _perfect_.

It took all his effort to chew slowly. They were, by far, the best thing he’d tasted since being shipwrecked. Perhaps even since ever. The ship’s food had been less-than-appetizing, and back home, he and his family had largely subsisted on starchy vegetables. Oysters had always been a food for folks on the coast, not inland farmers, and Jason hadn’t had a chance to taste the odd shellfish until then. It almost made him glad to have been shipwrecked, simply for the opportunity.

An opportunity that was all thanks to that horrible creature from the deep.

Jason frowned at the thought. It wasn’t really fair to call something that had given him food “horrible”, no matter what motivation that generosity may have had. For all Jason knew, it had given him food out of simple altruism. As species went, the two of them looked alike, and humans were prone to helping each other.

Even with all those thoughts in mind, Jason couldn’t quell the deep-seated anxiety the creature had left him with. For all he knew, he had walked straight into the gingerbread house and was going to end up in this kindly witch’s oven.

Jason’s expression hardened with that thought. He couldn’t let fear get in the way of understanding and experimenting. Even if the thing had malicious intent, he’d be better equipped to face it if he understood it. Besides, whatever this creature had at its disposal, Jason had one thing it didn’t: writing.

Much as he tried to savor them, the oysters still only lasted two bites. He wasn’t upset when they were gone, though; instead he found a renewed energy in recording his findings, both from the island and this mysterious animal.

For the first time since being shipwrecked, Jason pulled out his notebook and a pencil, opening to the first few pages. He’d made a rough map of the journey from California to Hong Kong, but, with that voyage wrecked, he made an adjustment, marking a south turn in the ship. He had to have ended up further south. Much further north and the climate would have been temperate, not tropical. He’d likely ended up in an island chain somewhere in the south Pacific.

Next, Jason did his best to sketch the creature from memory while it was still recent. He focused on the upper body and the face. Jason wasn’t much of an artist, but he did all he could to be detailed. The teeth that went from sharp to flat. The eyes with their dual lids. The covering of fur or hair that seemed dense, yet unintrusive. The complete lack of whiskers as a seal would have, and lack of a spout as a whale would have.

His sketch didn’t capture the full intimidation that the creature was capable of, but it was a decent gist at least.

From there, Jason scrawled down everything he could think of related to the creature. The breathing noises from the water, the encounter in the night, the stone structure that he couldn’t help but think was constructed by it.

Jason made a note next to the second of those: “ _Nocturnal_?” Jason couldn’t help but wonder if it preferred to carry out hunting and similar activities in the darkness, considering that it only brought him the oysters in the dark. Then again, that may have been merely a sign of observation. There was absolutely evidence to suggest that it was observant, if not intelligent. It had to have been watching him, seeing as it knew that he couldn't crack the oysters himself. For all Jason knew, it was watching him at that very moment.

Somehow, after writing, and drawing, and thinking about the encounter, Jason wasn’t as afraid of that. Anxious still, but the fright had been joined by excitement. The unknown thing was no longer ethereal and untouchable. It had a form now, a shape, demonic or otherwise. He could comprehend and understand and observe and react.

The fear gone from his mind, Jason started making new sketches and notes, this time for a new device. A trap made from salvaged netting and rope slung along the palm trees at the forest’s edge. He’d have to gather more fruit and fish, but Jason knew that he could pull it off.

Neither man nor nature would crush him any longer. Jason was powerful.


	6. Arms Race

Jason neither saw nor heard the creature over the following day. No visits in the night, no shellfish left at his camp, not even any breathing. If the thing wanted to feed him up, it wasn’t very determined about it. Or maybe it figured that he was suspicious now.

The lack of activity gave Jason the chance to start implementing his trap. After eating the last of his fruit for breakfast, Jason got to work gathering more of the netting and rope that was still littering the beach. It occurred to him that he had more than enough net to last him years, given what he was doing with it. He’d made a single fishing net that had served him well, and now the trap. Maybe, eventually, he could figure out how to sling up a hammock so he wouldn’t have to sleep on the sand.

For now, though, he set about creating a larger net that would fit the bulk of his semi-aquatic creature. Ill-intent or not, Jason wanted to study it, and that required him to have a specimen, dead or alive. It might not even be a bad idea to eat the creature’s flesh if survival depended on it. Darwin had often eaten species he discovered, though, Jason doubted that he’d ever had any of those animals try to feed him. Or that any of them had ever looked quite as- man shaped.

Within the edges of the night, Jason weaved rocks into the edges for extra weight. Then he tied ropes on opposite side of the net before looping them back around to form a longer, main rope in the center. Now, Jason just needed an appropriate tree or trees to go along with it. 

A tall, slightly bent palm tree stood out to him immediately. He lugged the net over to it and tossed the central rope over its bend. The net was too heavy to lift just like that, but Jason knew the trick to it. He found another, smaller tree and looped the rope once around it. Just like that, he was able to use the tree as a winch, holding the net in place. Jason walked further into the woods, behind the second tree, and tugged the rope with all the strength he could muster. Slowly, far too slowly, the net did raise into an almost cocoon-like shape, just like Jason wanted.

Once the net was at an appropriate height, Jason picked yet another palm tree and tied the rope off on it so that it wouldn’t fall for the time being.

With the net in place, Jason stood back and looked over his handiwork with a slight smile. He’d built similar devices on the farm, mostly for storage of equipment or catching especially persistent pests, but this one was larger, heavier, a little more complicated. It was something to be proud of, if he did say so himself.

All he needed now was some bait. Fish would probably work best, but fruit might just do the trick too. Simple enough.

*****

It was late in the evening before Jason had gathered enough food for both himself and to make a trail leading up to the net.

He’d taken a few breaks to cook for himself, but, other than that, the day was spent laying a trail of fish parts and small fruits from the edge of the water to his trap near the forest. Jason figured that the smell would have to attract the creature sooner or later. Some of it was already getting a little rank from being in the sun, after all.

As the sun set, Jason crouched beneath some shrubbery adjacent to his trap’s spring, belly full and ready to wait for a while. Precious little light touched beneath the forest, so, with some luck and stealth, he wouldn’t be spotted by the thing before he could incapacitate it.

Even with his knees and elbows on the forest floor, Jason felt his heart race with excitement. He was going to see this thing up close, be able to examine it, understand its anatomy. He’d have something to show for his stranding, should he be rescued. He’d finally be able to prove that no, he wasn’t some nobody loser. Jason couldn’t wait.

Before long, though, minutes stretched into hours, the moon made its way across the sky, and there was still no sign of any sea creatures. Jason’s eyes were growing heavier and heavier by the second. Even growing up on a farm doing hard labor, Jason’s activities on the island had granted him some of the most restful nights of his life.

But he couldn’t rest now. Jason had an animal to catch. He had to keep his eyes open. Open. Open...

*****

Jason blinked his eyes open to dim, early rays of sunlight. A pungent smell was coming from somewhere nearby, something like fermented grapes. He was on his back, with no trees above him. No shrubs, no rope, no…

Jason shot up into a sitting position, eyes darting all around. He was next to his fire, on top of his leaf bedding. What in God’s name? He whipped his head around, trying to find his trap. To his dismay, he spotted it, but the net had fallen from the tree. There was no ape creature beneath it, but the bait was gone, the fish, the fruit, with a telltale animal track circling around.

Dammit. Dammit, dammit, dammit, why did he have to fall asleep? If he’d just stayed awake and watched and had a hand on the rope...

Only then did Jason glance to the opposite side of his fire pit. There, in a small pile, were the remains of his fruit bait, wrinkled and collapsed by the sun. Jason cringed at the sight. Some of them appeared to have had bites taken out of them before being left there. The creature didn’t like fruit, it seemed, but why would it put it back with Jason?

Then he noticed something else, on the burnt out ashes of the fire pit. Shellfish, more than oysters this time. Clams and cockles and mussels, cracked open and all sitting on a piece of still-wet seaweed. There was no doubt anymore. This thing was feeding him intentionally.

It hadn’t fallen for his trap, it was leaving him food, and, most chilling of all, it had almost certainly dragged him back to his campsite from the woods. It had dragged him back without his notice.

And, adding insult to injury, it hadn’t even stayed behind to humor him. Prick.

Jason stood up, stretching out in the sunlight with a yawn. His stomach growled, but he wasn’t sure if he wanted to accept the thing’s “gifts”, and he definitely did not want to eat the fruit.

He couldn’t have rotting fruit around his campsite either, though, and he made his way about ten paces away from his campsite and started to dig a small pit for the fruit.

As he dug with his hands, a thought occurred to Jason. Surely something that resembled a seal or a whale couldn’t be adapt at climbing. An animal used to swimming its way out of potential ditches wouldn’t have the lower body strength to make its way out of a ditch.

He deliberated over the logistics of digging a ditch as he buried the fruit. Jason had dug a few ditches on the farm, but he’d always had help from the other hands at least. This ditch would have to be deeper than any of those to hold such a large creature, and he’d have to do it himself.

On a hunch, Jason strode over to one of the crates that littered the beach. The wood had been softened and swelled by the rain, but there were still sturdy panels to be had.

With some pushing and shoving, Jason managed to tear a plank off of the crate’s top. It wasn’t a shovel and wouldn’t be nearly as effective as a shovel, but it would do well enough for digging a pit.

Of course, he knew that it would take a while, probably even longer than setting the trap yesterday, but what else was he going to do? He could birdwatch any day, but who knew how long this creature would stay interested in him? Jason had to seize the opportunity while he still could.

Jason picked a spot, not too close, but not too far from his camp and dug the wider end of his plank into the ground. With an easy flick, sand was moved and he had a small hole. It was a start, and that was all he needed just then.

*****

Much like the previous day, by the time Jason had a pit, the sun was long since set.

The work had been grueling, especially once midday rolled in and Jason started to sweat buckets. At that point, he’d taken off his jacket and ended up eating the shellfish that had been left for him at that point. Easy food was easy food after all, and digging was tough work.

Throughout the day, he’d gone to retrieve fruit and caught a fish or two for meals, but those were his only breaks from digging. One fish he’d put aside to act as bait, but aside from that, Jason had wolfed down whatever he found. He needed all the energy he could get.

Jason hauled himself up out of the hole, arms sore and back aching. He stood back, looking down on his handiwork. It wasn’t that deep, but for an animal that lived in the water, surely it would be difficult to climb out of a steep hole. It was so massive that size alone would make it difficult for the thing to climb at all, unlike a more dexterous human.

No longer in any hurry, Jason wandered over to where he’d left his net intended for his first trap. He could find it a newer, more practical purpose in his second attempt, he was certain. Jason unbound the central knot holding the net’s ends and spread it out, keeping the rocks at the edges for he would still need some weight.

Jason arranged the net across his pit, taut enough to somewhat hide the hole below, but loose enough to give in and collapse if some large beast were to add its bulk onto the net. Lastly, he retrieved his saved fish and tossed it into the middle. The perfect attractor for a clearly fish-eating creature.

With his work done for the day, Jason was more than ready to retire for the night. He was a bit hungry still, but that could wait until dawn. It wouldn’t have been the first time he went to bed hungry, after all.

Jason didn’t bother to put his jacket back on, and he flopped down on his leaf bedding without a care for if he got sand in his hair. Jason didn’t care about much of anything just then. He was exhausted and all he wanted was a good night’s rest.

*****

Jason got his wish.

By the time Jason’s eyes blinked open once more, the sun was already high above, and would have shined straight in Jason’s eyes were it not for the few fan leaves and their minimal shade.

Jason groaned. He’d slept for far too long, and his stomach was already growling. His arms were still sore as the devil, but he couldn’t delay any longer. He needed food and water as soon as he could manage.

As Jason made to stretch, though, he found that something resisted the movement, like an especially heavy blanket. Jason lifted his chin up, jaw gaping with confusion, a feeling that only magnified when he saw what awaited him.

His net had been haphazardly tossed over him, woven lines overlapping each other sporadically and the weighted ends coalesced on Jason’s right side. It almost seemed less tossed and more dragged, before being draped over Jason.

Surely enough, as he glanced around, Jason immediately picked out tracks in the sand, including the inconsistent marks of his very own net. Despite himself, Jason felt his jaw set and knuckles clench. Who did this creature think it was? If it had to evade his traps, then the least it could do was not add insult to injury.

Jason made to squirm out from under the net, but found that something else caught. His jacket had also been placed on top of him, far more carefully than the net. It was laid out flat across his chest, facing inward. Jason couldn’t be bothered to question it, and simply grabbed the jacket out from under the net as well before placing it down next to his bed.

Jason hauled himself to his feet and grabbed up the net as well. He marched over to his pit and, sure enough, found the same strange seal-like tracks all around it. Not even the slightest indication that the man-seal-thing had even given his trap a second thought. The fish that he’d laid out as bait was long gone.

Jason gritted his teeth, so hard that he thought they might break. Emotions that he’d been suppressing since even before he first saw that thing came bubbling to the surface, like boiling water in a tiny canister.

He gave a roar and tore down to the water, tossing the net out to sea, rocks and all. It flew only a few feet before landing in the water.

“Mock me then! I’ve already lost any dignity I might have had! Have your fun!”

No reply, as usual. The net hadn’t sunk either; it merely floated just above the surface as the tide carried it away. 

Jason’s shoulders dropped and his jaw went slack. What a waste of a perfectly good net.

But then again, what did it matter? Or furthermore, what was the point? The point of anything he was doing, for survival, for himself. He certainly wouldn’t bother trying to catch that thing any longer. If it was intent on making his life miserable, then it had already succeeded.

He slumped down, digging his feet into the sand. He hugged himself, while staring out at the water. It really hit him just then, without the distraction of some mystical sea creature, how utterly alone he was, and just how difficult it would be to go back home.

He rested his head against his forearms, releasing a shuddering sigh.


	7. Natural Selection

Of course, Jason couldn’t stay like that, even if he didn’t want to go on. The sun beat down so hard by late morning that it was painful just kneeling in its rays, unguarded. The jungle was the best place to be at times like these.

Jason spent much of the afternoon trekking through the jungle. He wasn’t hungry at all, but he was absolutely parched. Jason went straight to the stream he’d found the other day and dunked his head into it, drinking and half-hoping the he’d encounter something poisonous in the process. No such luck.

He didn’t leave right away after he’d drank his fill. Instead, he sat up against a nearby tree, and shut his eyes. Jason had been sleeping better, but he was still so tired and his body was still sore from his pit digging. If he’d not been so tired, Jason might have hopped into the river just to cool down. As it was, at least the sounds of the forest were relaxing in their way.

A flutter of wings alerted him that something had approached. Jason blinked his eyes open, if only to make sure that he wasn’t about the be attacked or eaten.

His eyes were immediately drawn to the form of a bird that had landed on the riverbank, not far in front of Jason. It reminded him of a hawk or an eagle in its face, but a ruff of messy feathers adorned its head, and its beak had an almost blue band of coloration around it. Strange beast.

It bobbed its head up and down, drinking one minute, and looking around the other. The ground was a dangerous place for a bird, after all, and who knew what predators stalked the forest? It didn’t seem particularly afraid of Jason, certainly. Jason could have reached out and very nearly touched it.

Jason really wished he’d had his jacket and book right then. He’d been so upset that he hadn’t bothered to bring either along just in case something like this happened.

That wish was only reinforced as time passed. The eagle flapped away after only a minute or so, but was soon replaced by other odd wildlife. Parrots of all kinds and colors took turns fluttering down to skim the water for a drink. A few small deer padded up to take tentative sips before hurrying back into the trees and out of sight. What looked like a group of otters splashed by at one point, swimming upstream and poking their heads out of the water now and again.

This island clearly had a lot of life to be seen if one simply sat still, even outside of oceanic seal men. Sure, there were no people around to fall back on, but Jason wasn’t exactly alone either.

By the time the light of day was beginning to fade, he’d seen any number of species of birds, bats, rodents, and deer. He took another deep, long drink from the river, and started making his way back towards his camp. On the way, Jason picked some fruit from favorite plants. He still wasn’t especially hungry, but better to have options for later in the night.

It was a leisurely stroll back to the beach from there, and Jason was eager to lay down on his leaf bedding in the evening sun. Every bone in his body was asking for more sleep or at least rest. Jason knew that he didn’t need it, but he was inclined to listen.

That train of thought stopped the moment that he cleared the trees. There on the beach, a familiar, huge form was sprawled out, immobile. The very same form that had towered over him not but a few days ago. Jason froze, fearing much the same reaction from the creature

Yet it didn’t move. Not even a twitch, or any kind of indication that it had noticed him. The only sign that it was alive at all was a series of pained grunts that sounded startlingly human, its chest swelling for each labored breath.

After a moment of hesitation, Jason took a ginger step forward. When still that still accrued no reaction, Jason began a steady approach.

Even at a halted pace, it wasn’t long before Jason was standing directly over the thing. God, it was _massive_. That was the most immediately noticeable trait about it; how easily it could stand a full head and shoulders over Jason at full height. 

The second most noticeable thing was the net was drawn out behind it, tangled around its- feet? Hind fin? Jason wasn’t sure what to call the elongated structures, but the creature had clearly been dragging the net for a while, unable to get it off. Cuts and bruises from the line were clear across his body, winding down to his lower half. On top of that, Jason could see the clear outlines of healed wounds, scars, little indentations that marred the creature’s flesh.

Standing over it, a simple truth hit Jason. He _never_ would have been able to capture this thing, not in a hundred years. It was huge, powerful, intelligent, and experienced. Obviously some kind of ape, even a relative of humans.

He’d considered killing and eating this thing, and Jason was only now realizing that that was out of the question. This animal had to be studied alive. He was stunning. Taxidermy wouldn’t have done him justice. But most of all he really did look too human. It would have felt like cannibalism.

As much as he resembled a man, though, he was much larger than any man Jason had ever seen. If Jason hadn’t believed the tales of fish folk told by sailors before, then he had to now. 

On a strange whim, Jason reached a hand out to touch him.

It was only then that his head turned, his eyes open, and he spotted Jason reaching out for him. Immediately, his lip curled, and he scrambled to find his footing. Jason had no idea where to look as he did, at the webbed, elongated hands as they spread out for purchase, the ripple of his muscles as he dragged the net along, or the constant, murderous glare he was giving Jason. The pained snarls weren’t the sound any animal would make, and it was close, but, again, not quite right for a human being.

His - Jason was certain it was male - face was uncannily human. Yet that didn’t stop Jason from immediately understanding that this thing, this ocean ape man, was just as bewildered as he was.

It blinked, both with flesh eyelids and a second, cloudy lid, like a salamander or a bird. But it wasn’t an amphibian, it wasn’t a sea lion, it didn’t look like any ape or certainly any man Jason had ever heard of. It didn’t even look like the Fiji mermaids that Barnum and other freakshows paraded around.

“Wait,” Jason blurted out, reaching a hand towards him.

For an instant, the creature’s expression seemed almost- perplexed? His brow creased and his mouth shut, if only for a moment. For that instant, though, Jason found himself somehow relating to him. He’d felt much the same seeing this strange animal up close for the first time. Of course, it wasn’t long after that when his snarl returned, now angry instead of wounded.

Jason might have taken his opportunity to escape there and then, if he’d believed that the creature could rise and hurt him at all. As it stood, though, he obviously couldn’t. He was still too exhausted from hauling the net around, and definitely not in any shape to be starting fights. He _was_ bluffing. Did animals do that? Could they do that?

“How’d you get stuck?” Jason found himself asking, though, he knew there would be no answer “You should have sank, with the rocks. You must be strong as a bear.”

The thing continued to glower, unblinking as it gave long, deep breaths.

“Did you…” Jason wasn’t sure why he was speaking to this creature. He wouldn’t understand. And despite knowing that perfectly well, Jason continued, “Did you get curious and investigate when I was shouting again?”

No answer.

“You’ve heard me shout before, haven’t you? You’ve been watching and listening.”

The creature’s glower seemed to soften, as though he was now realizing that Jason wasn’t out to do him harm, only spew inane chatter at him.

“Maybe you tried playing with the net and your back end got stuck,” Jason supposed. “But you’re strong. You can crack an oyster. Why not do the same with the ropes?”

At the question, the creature blinked. Maybe it was random, but Jason couldn’t help the tug at the back of his mind suggesting that this animal had, at the very least, understood that he was making an inquiry.

With that in mind, a thought came to Jason. He jumped up and hurried the several paces over to his campsite, grabbing one of his blade-rocks before returning to where he’d been at the creature’s side.

“You can’t do this-” Jason gave a slicing motion across his belly. “With your teeth?”

The creature shrank back as Jason waved the rock, but he made no sound. He could discern that it could be a weapon, which meant he was clearly intelligent.

“Teeth,” Jason repeated before curling back his own lip and pointing to them.

Immediately, the creature reacted, flashing his own teeth with a low rumble. Well, that was a start. His teeth wouldn’t be any better at cutting than a man’s, seeing as they were, to Jason’s eye, identical. Even great crushing power couldn’t do much against a tightly wound rope. Whatever this thing was, he wasn’t a full carnivore.

Jason looked from the blade-rock to the creature then to himself. What was he doing? He probably looked completely insane, and there were more important things to attend to. Like the fact that, for all intents and purposes, this thing had captured himself for Jason. It wouldn’t have taken much for Jason to keep him where he was for observation, if only for a while.

But somehow, that didn’t quite sit right with Jason. His gut twisted at the very idea.

“Okay,” he murmured.

Jason crept in closer towards the thing’s lower half, where the net was twisted. The second that he made a move towards the thing’s injuries, he got a resounding bark in return. Jason jumped at the sound, a pure reflex. He didn’t even feel any real fear, only a pure need to retract. Yet the thing still didn’t move more than an inch. He was bluffing.

Once Jason recovered from his start, he had an idea of what to do.

“It’s okay,” Jason promised, making sure to soften his voice and expression as he spoke. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

The thing’s grimace stayed where it was, but he didn’t move. Jason took that as license to go ahead and start working to untangle him.

The first thing Jason did was test the rope with a gentle tug. The creature immediately jolted with a yelp, telling Jason that those ropes had dug into his flesh. No wonder he was tired and injured. 

“Easy,” Jason reassured him. On a whim, he reached out to an uninjured stretch of the creature’s skin, what looked like his thigh, and gave a gentle stroke.

Whether or not he understood, the thing didn’t leap up to tear Jason’s throat out, so that was promising.

Jason’s next move was to shift the net as a whole up towards the creature’s hips, just enough to make the rope go a bit lax and allow Jason to get fingers between flesh and rope. That earned a sharp inhale from the creature, but that pain still didn’t lead to any aggression. All he did was keep an eye on Jason as he worked.

With the newly available give, Jason slipped his blade-rock into the opening, and began a gradual sawing motion. The rope was strong wound together, but once the integrity of the individual weaved lines was compromised, it was liable to break of its own accord.

It took a while, too long even, but eventually Jason’s sawing proved worthwhile as rope’s fibers began to break down and give way, loosening surrounding fibers at the same time. The creature seemed to sense the change and squirmed with renewed purpose, only speeding up the process.

Before long the rope holding the net to him snapped, and the creature pitched it away. The net fell uselessly to the ground, reduced to a tangle of impotent fibers. The creature undulated his feet and legs back and forth, as if checking its injuries. They were still bloody, but not too deep, nor too painful if the lack of groans was any indication. He was still watching Jason as he did, but Jason had leaned back on his heels, watching the creature move.

The creature made another sound, a deep, breathy thing, and then went quiet and just observed Jason. Jason wasn’t sure what he was looking for, but it went on for a long moment, before the creature turned around and, on its hands - more like paddles - and knees, hobbled his way towards the water, akin to the movement of a sea lion. Jason still didn’t move, too stunned to do anything but watch.

Once in the water, the creature waded, chest deep, before he turned his head back to look at Jason once more. It lasted less than minute before the cloudy eyelids slid back over his eyes, and he disappeared down into the surf.

It was a long while before Jason found it in himself to stand once more. He kept waiting for it to reappear, pushing its head up for a breath of air, like he’d seen dolphins and whales do. Even as he pushed himself to his feet, Jason’s eyes remained fixed on where he had disappeared. Somehow, he had a feeling that it wouldn’t be the last he’d see of the thing.


	8. Speciation

Jason was barely able to think for the rest of the day. Out of sheer instinct, he returned to the cover of the trees, seeking shelter from the blistering sun. He returned to the river, and spent the warmest part of the day sipping water, and observing plants and wildlife. Jason had to admit, as hot and sweaty as he was, life on the island was more relaxing than on the farm or ship. No one barked orders at him, no one called him a good-for-nothing, and he had-

Well, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to call the thing in the water an acquaintance, let alone a friend. It wasn’t long ago that Jason had considered killing him, eating him, or stuffing him. The thought seemed unconscionable now, but Jason had been desperate. Maybe he was still desperate, not for water or food or shelter, but for company. On the ship, he’d heard tales of shipwrecked sailors gone mad from lonesomeness, rambling at thin air, hostile to fellow men, and never quite the same again.

Was that Jason’s fate? To die alone or go mad? Or perhaps God had sent him a blessing in beastly form. He worked in mysterious ways, after all. Perhaps it was simply chance, but who was Jason to say?

Regardless, Jason prayed that he might see the creature again, if only because he had no company at all without it. The more his own thoughts ground on with no interruption, the more he feared that has sanity would erode and he’d become a yahoo that Gulliver may have encountered on his travels. Jason was determined not to become that, and perhaps the key lay with this creature, fearsome as it may have been.

Though, the creature wasn’t really an “it” anymore, was he? He was far too much like a man to fairly call him that, as much as Jason wasn’t entirely comfortable with that fact.

It was only as evening set that Jason finally made his way back to the beach. As he reached it, he took a moment to glance for any sign of the creature, with no such luck. Perhaps he was still resting, or feeding.

Jason felt a slight pang of guilt at the idea. He’d been the one to throw the net in the water, after all. Sure, he’d helped the creature recover as well, but he couldn’t help but feel the least bit responsible.

But there was nothing to be done about that just then. The thing wasn’t here, and it was too late to be doing any more for the day. No longer hungry or thirsty, Jason laid down and tried to get some sleep.

*****

Jason must have slept in. He was pulled out of sleep by nudging and patting at his shoulder and side. Still, groggy, Jason forced himself to turn on his back and start to sit up even before his eyes opened.

“Okay, Lonnie, I’m-”

Before he could finish his slurring excuse, Jason’s eyes cracked open, and he was struck with the sight of a monster standing in the dark above him.

Jason jumped up and scrambled back out of his bed and found himself kicking up sand. This wasn’t his bunk, this wasn’t the farm, what the hell was _that_ , and where-

“Oh,” he breathed, almost forgetting the creature’s presence as he realized where he was. Still shipwrecked, still a castaway. Jason’s heart sank.

As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he focused in on the creature who didn’t express concern at all over Jason’s outburst. It was a particularly bright night, helped by a nearly full moon and no clouds to speak of, giving Jason a decent view of him. He was staring at Jason, standing stock still with one of his paddle-like forelimbs held flush against his flank. The other was held near the ground, serving as both a support, and appearing to hold some object. That was strange. Jason didn’t see how he could be holding something in his- hand? Not quite a hand.

“What do you have there?” Jason said, shuffling back towards the creature.

As Jason moved forward, the creature backed off, and let go of whatever it had in the process. For an instant, a clear opposable thumb was visible, before it was tucked back in against the front paddle.

A strange, deep rumbling found its way to Jason’s ear, and, for a moment he wondered if it was some kind of storm approaching. Then, with a start, he realized that it came from the creature itself. Jason couldn’t tell if it was some kind of threat, like a growl, but it made him uneasy all the same.

Jason reached out to pick up the packet that the creature had been holding. He found it was slimy and still wet with what must have been seawater. Seaweed, by Jason’s estimate, just like what had wrapped his first “gift”.

He picked it up and pulled at the seaweed until it unwrapped, spilling out the shellfish inside. They shellfish were more numerous this time, consisting of not just oysters, but of smaller, green tinted things, what looked to be some even larger, oddly shaped oyster, and what Jason recognized as a conch, the animal still hiding in the bumpy shell. Once more, the oysters were cracked, but the other offerings were left in their shells.

Jason glanced up at the creature and asked, “Is this for me?”

The rumbling stopped at that question, but the creature made no more sounds, nor any move to take back the shellfish.

“Thank you,” Jason said, despite the futility of it.

He stood up, and went to retrieve some kindling and wood. It was odd, doing this during the night, but he didn’t want the food to go to waste. Especially not good, rich food that he’d been freely gifted. He worked quickly, glancing over at the creature ever so often.

Despite his uneasiness, he lit a fire and fed it until it was hot enough to cook with. All the while, the creature rested on the opposite side of his little camp, watching. He held himself much like the sea lions that Jason had seen resting on rock faces occasionally, holding his place with his forelimbs, head held high, exposing his broad chest. He watched with interest as Jason placed the shellfish on top of it to start heating. Jason pushed the conch more directly onto the flames, hoping that it would cook properly and he’d be able to get at the meat inside.

When he looked up at the creature again, it was still watching, and, if Jason wasn’t mistaken, it looked- bewildered. Puzzled. Well, Jason couldn’t say it came as a shock; he’d probably be surprised by cooking with fire too if he lived in the ocean.

So, Jason watched him too, and got as good a look as he could in the moonlight and flickering flames. It was harder to discern with the creature near-flat on the ground, but it was still plain to see that he was huge. Broad-chested and simply massive. Jason briefly wondered if all ocean mammals were that way. He knew that whales grew to great sizes in the ocean’s depths, after all, sea lions weren’t to be scoffed at, and Steller had encountered sea cows that could make an automobile look tiny.

But this creature was none of those things.

Jason reached up a hand to brush a stray lock of hair out his face, and, before long, the creature lifted up one of his paddles and touched his own face the same way. As soon as Jason relaxed his arm back down, the creature did the same.

Thinking experimentally, Jason brought his hands behind his back and locked them together. Sure enough, the creature mimicked him once more, bearing down onto his chest as he strained his arms behind himself. All the while, he maintained eye contact.

Before Jason could think of anything else to attempt, the creature neutralized his position once more before easily turning himself over onto his back, still watching Jason.

Stunned and unsure of what else he could do in response, Jason turned about and laid back on the sand, tipping his head back to look at the creature. From his angle, it would have been easy to mistake him for simply a man. Jason had to laugh.

“You’re something,” he said, not sure of exactly why.

The creature just blinked at him, transparent eyelid, then flesh, but made no sound.

It was then that Jason glanced upward to the night sky, a new, yet familiar sight that he didn’t think he’d ever get used to. His eyes were suddenly full of the incredible, unbroken sheet of stars above. Even back on the farm, Jason had never seen so many little lights all at once, for as many nights that he’d looked. He’d only ever learned a few constellations, but he was sure that he could pick out at least one.

After a few moments of searching, through all of which the creature was silent, Jason pointed up at a particular cluster of bright stars.

“There’s Orion.”

The creature followed his point, but still made no sound. Jason frowned. Would an aquatic creature have much use for stars? Would he even give them a second thought?”

“Stars,” Jason breathed. “Do you ever look at the stars?”

Still no answer.

Slowly, the creature raised one of his paddle arms, and stuck out his thumb, seeming to form an angle beneath another particularly bright star.

“You like that one?” Jason said, disbelief palpable. “Do you- follow it?”

He didn’t expect an answer, and he didn’t get one either. For a long moment, the creature held its forearm in that same position before retracting his thumb once more, and resting it back on his chest.

The two of them laid like that for a long while, staring up in each other’s presence. Jason wasn’t entirely sure what had passed between them, but he knew that it was some kind of communication. There was no other way to describe it. This creature seemed interested in Jason as much as Jason was interested in him. All he could do was question why as he kept surviving.

By the time that Jason felt the need to push himself into sitting up, he was certain that his food was cooked through. No longer disturbed by the creature’s presence, he carefully edged his cooking rock away from the fire, turning a skillet into a plate of sorts. He moved the conch much the same way, though, he was still uncertain of how exactly he was going to get the meat out of it.

He tried for the large oysters first. They’d opened sometime in the midst of cooking, and as Jason pried them apart, he found a browned, rounded thing within, not unlike an oyster. As he took a bite, he was too hungry to taste anything but a sweet, almost buttery, flavor. From there, the meat was gone in seconds.

It went much the same way for a moment or two, Jason wolfing down the numerous shellfish. Fruit was one thing, but the things that the creature brought back were truly substantial. Jason could see how an animal could grow to great sizes eating like this.

Speaking of him, the creature approached him then, shuffling up to his side and looking at Jason like he wanted something.

“Do you want some?” Jason offered, reaching a half-shelled oyster-thing out for the creature to inspect.

A distinctly human expression crossed its face just then, all wrinkled nose and squinted eyes, and Jason had to chuckle.

“Hard to cook your food underwater, huh?”

Much like before, the creature started to rumble then, and he picked up the discarded seaweed wrapping, pushing it at Jason’s middle.

“I can’t eat that,” Jason said. It was his turn to wrinkle his nose in disgust. “It’s seaweed.”

The rumbling was now accompanied by an open mouth, showing off the creature’s impressive, yet still distinctly human-like teeth. If Jason wasn’t mistaken, he was determined.

“No,” Jason insisted, pushing the paddle back like he might if another person was offering him junk. “Can’t. Cannot!”

The creature’s mouth shut then, and his expression turned to a crinkle of confusion.

“No?” he seemed to say, the question apparent in his tone.

For an instant, Jason was stunned. Had he-? He couldn’t have. This creature couldn’t speak, surely. Animals never- Well, Jason supposed that this wasn’t exactly an animal. But still, it wasn’t likely for him to speak.

“No,” Jason repeated, bewilderment clear in his voice.

With that, the creature’s expression changed to one that Jason could only describe as exasperation. He took the seaweed, hobbled a few paces away from Jason before laying out to start taking bites of it himself.

Jason couldn’t help but watch for a long while as the creature devoured the seaweed like it was nothing. Occasionally, he’d glance up to meet Jason’s eyes, but never seemed bothered at all. In the meantime, Jason kept grazing at his own meal.

Only when Jason finally got to the conch did he hesitate. Should he just stick his fingers in and start tearing meat out? Or was there a particular method? The one who had brought it to him would probably know best.

As he turned to get the creature’s attention, though, Jason found him turned away and shuffling toward the water.

Jason panicked, hopping up to his feet and calling after him.

“Wait!”

To his surprise, the creature turned about, blinking at Jason.

“I-” he started before he knew what he wanted to say.

Jason felt like a complete fool. What good was there in asking the creature to stay? They couldn’t speak, and it was too dark to write or sketch. And yet...

“I’d like you to stay,” he finally settled on, gesturing at his side. “Stay here.”

It was ridiculous. There was no way that-

That was when the creature turned around fully, and hauled himself back over to Jason. Jason was so stunned that it barely registered as the creature stood up on his knees, easily matching Jason’s height and then some.

“Stay,” he echoed, in a hoarse, uncomfortable voice.

Amazing. Jason, even frozen with surprise, could discern that, yes, this not-quite-man, not-quite-animal thing was certainly talking. Perhaps not well, but he was. Absolutely incredible.

“Stay, yes,” Jason pleaded before everything came tumbling out. “I’m lost, I’m alone, I have no idea if or when I’ll be able to leave here. I’m truly grateful for the food, but I still want you to stay. I want...”

He must have been a sight, bearing his soul and sounding more and more desperate with every word. The creature seemed largely unmoved, tilting his head with a long blink.

“We haven’t even really been introduced, have we?” Jason said, for the first time knowing that, maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t speaking in vain. “I’m Jason.”

That didn’t make much headway immediately. Again, the creature tilted his head, but at least seemed to be considering.

“Jason,” Jason repeated, putting a hand on his chest for emphasis. “Ja-son.”

The creature came closer, scrutinizing Jason’s face. Then he reached out with one of his paddles, and, in an uncannily gentle gesture, touched the side of Jason’s face, using his thumb to feel at Jason’s cheek and jawline.

“Jason,” he echoed, clearer and more certain than any of his previous words.

Jason’s jaw dropped, and his heart was racing. Before he could form any kind of reaction, though, the creature was moving his paddle away and touching it to his own chest.

“Roman,” the creature croaked out, or, that was Jason’s best estimation anyway.

Every minute, this creature - _Roman_ \- became more of an astonishing discovery.

“Roman,” Jason echoed.

Roman laughed at that, or that’s what it sounded like at least. Maybe it was as astonishing to him to find another intelligent creature roaming the Earth. Jason had certainly never heard any naturalist mention an encounter with anything like Roman.

Before any more could be said, though, Roman had dropped back to his four-legged stance, and was making his way back down into the surf.

“No, wait!” Jason begged, convinced that he might never see Roman again if he left now.

As Roman touched the water, he stopped, and glanced back to Jason once again. This time, he stayed where he was, but started to make a bizarre show of gesture. He kept pushing the dry sand just outside the lapping waves into the water before pushing wet sand out of reach of the watery rhythms. Roman repeated the gestures four times, ending with a small pile of wet sand on the beach.

“Stay,” Roman said once more before he waded down into the water, and disappeared beneath the darkened waves.

Jason’s heart ached. He was alone again, and right after he’d made some kind of connection with the closest thing he had to a human companion.

He crumpled to his knees, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts and feelings. He’d spoken to another, not-quite-human creature, and it had spoken back. How could that be possible? How could it just leave him that way? Was he dreaming? No, not likely, he’d have woken up by now, surely.

Roman had been communicating up until the very end. He must have been. He’d looked straight at Jason as he’d made those strange motions, pushing sand back and forth. Dry into wet, wet onto dry. It didn’t make much sense at all, not to Jason. Would it have made more sense to another of Roman’s kind? Were there more of his kind at all? They must have been masters of stealth, or perhaps lived at great depths.

All at once, it hit Jason. Dry into wet, then wet back onto dry. Roman couldn’t quite speak Jason’s language, but he was absolutely sending a message. Wrapped in a game of charades and interpretation, intentionally or otherwise, but a message nonetheless. It was only a small leap of logic to understand what he’d meant.

He was coming back soon.


End file.
